MEDCEUR 11 participants strut their stuff for DVs

  • Published
  • By Capt. Martha L. Petersante
  • MEDCEUR 11 Public Affairs
CAMP PEPELISHTE, Macedonia --  When people see a flashing blue light or hear the blare of a siren, they will wonder what is going on without giving much thought about the first-responders or those providing medical care to the potential victims.

They take it for granted the first-responders know what they're doing and will take care of whatever situation they're racing towards.

However, training plays a key role in the sustainment of their skills, and as part of the Medical Training Exercise in Central and Eastern Europe, first-responders from the host country of Macedonia, alongside participants from the U.S., Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Slovenia and Montenegro, received a chance to "show off" their skills as part of the MEDCEUR 11 Distinguished Visitor Day showcase June 13.

Visitors here witnessed a simulated building fire with a search and rescue element, hazardous chemical release and decontamination, medical evacuation flight and tours of Role One, Two and Expeditionary Medical Support System facilities. MEDCEUR 11 participants were on hand throughout the entire showcase to answer questions and explain, in-depth, their capabilities.

When asked about the importance of today's events, Col. Charles Tedder, American co-Director for MEDCEUR 11, said exercises such as these are key to building medical interoperability throughout the region.

"By demonstrating this capability to senior leadership and partner nations, we are able to showcase the participants as they took pride in their jobs, capabilities and 'showed off' their processes," he said.

In looking to the future, Bosnian- Herzegovinian Maj. Gen. Slavko Puljich, deputy chief of the joint staff of the Armed Force of Bosnia- Herzegovina, said he enjoyed the events and looks forward to hosting next year's exercise, Shared Resilience.

"We will work very hard this year and next year, in May, we will be absolutely ready for that exercise," he said.

"Today," he said when asked about his impressions of MEDCEUR 11, "we saw one excellent exercise and a good example of cooperation between the United States and partner nations. This opportunity was very important for all our members' partipating to gain valuable experience and gain interoperability within our Bosnian-Herzegovinian forces."

Echoing the words of General Pulich, Maj. Gen. Mark Zamzow, 3rd Air Force vice commander, said training such as MEDCEUR 11 is vital to sustaining the partnerships of this region.

"We view building partnership capacity as one of our main missions [in this region]; therefore, we continually push forward as far and fast as we can in any exercise activity to achieve this goal.

"In this arena for the medical community, this [exercise] is one more activity that is critically important that we do annually, as it really solidifies relationships, improves interoperability and certainly readiness for their nation as well as ours," the general said.

Building enduring partnership was a common theme among the participants of MEDCEUR 11, but it was more than learning how to work together. Many friendships were developed between members of all the services as well.

"I think the most important thing about MEDCUER was the aggressiveness, personalities and smiles that result in people working together, having a common mission, having professional exchanges and respect for each other to make their community better," General Zamzow said.